© Getty Images Sport – Tertius Pickard
Maria Sharapova says she is “rooting” for Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur to become a Grand Slam champion one day. Last year, Jabeur became the first Arab and African player to reach the Grand Slam final at Wimbledon. Since then, Jabeur has reached three Grand Slam finals but has yet to win a Slam, losing in back-to-back Wimbledon finals in 2022 and 2023, as well as the 2022 US Open finals.
“The rivalries, you can have one dominant player or everybody has a shot and I think in your time what makes it interesting is the rivalries because you pick teams and you hope somebody wins. , there is something to lose now that we go there to Ons Jabeur, the Sabalenka, Rybakina,” Andrea Petkovic said during her conversation with Sharapova on the Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, via Sportskeeda.
In response to Petkovic’s comments, Sharapova said: “I’m rooting for Ons to win his first Grand Slam, he deserves it.”
Sharapova is unlikely to play pro tennis again
In recent years, there have been many cases of players successfully returning after giving birth.
Sharapova, 36, retired from pro tennis after the 2020 Australian Open and welcomed her first child last year. In the podcast, Sharapova was asked what are the chances of her returning to tennis after giving birth. “I don’t know how they do it, I don’t see that in my future,” Sharapova said.
During her tennis days, Sharapova did a lot on the court. Today, Sharapova feels accomplished by becoming a mother. “I became a mother about a year ago which I think is one of the best achievements I’ve ever had.
I have a new respect for motherhood and parenting and that this is the moment you want you know that your body is experiencing completely different, your mind is somewhere else,” said Sharapova.